


Derek’s Mistake

by RougueShadowWolf



Series: 15 Minutes [147]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Child Abuse, Evil Kate Argent, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Stiles is Derek's and Kate's son, alternative universe, kid stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2018-07-12 00:06:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7076272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RougueShadowWolf/pseuds/RougueShadowWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek hadn’t known about his son, if he had then he would’ve made sure his son wouldn’t have spent one damn day with Kate, but as it was all he could do now was try and do the right thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So here we are with another batch of 15min fic’s written by me of course. Now for all you darlings who aren’t familiar with these little fic’s, these stories are written within the time of 15minutes which sadly means that they often make no sense and end far too soon.   
> So this fic was requested by Rotten-Rowan who asked for a fic where Kate got pregnant with Derek’s baby and years later she taunts him with this his son whom she has been abusing for years, oh and she wanted the baby to be Stiles. Now I struggled to decide whether or not Peter should be killed or not and so the fic sort of didn’t get a move on it.

  
It’s a painfully slow struggle, and exhausting battle between the will to wake-up and the desire to stay unconscious, and yet even before Derek has fully accepted consciousness and before he can recall all that had transpired before the pain and the darkness that had followed, he knows instinctively that he was in the gravest of dangers; he also knows without opening his eyes where he is, it’s the linger scent of his burned family and the charred timber that tells him that the bitch that had burned his family and childhood home down had seen it fit to chain him down in his own home.

But there’s another person there too besides him and Kate, that smells young like small child but unlike a child should this one seemed to reek of fear and tears fresh and old, desperation and dirt, blood and old sweat, and something else that pushes Derek out of the comforting state of unconsciousness.

`Stop your crying,´ Kate barks at the small boy Derek sees standing across the room from him, the kid nearly jumps out of his skin at the harshness of Kate’s voice which only causes he small boy to cry ever so harder.

From what Derek could tell the kid couldn’t be much older than five although he looked far too thin to be a healthy little five-year old, the kid was all skin and bones.

`Stop it right now, or so help me God.´ Kate snarls and the little boy backs himself further into the corner throwing both his filthy hands over his mouth as if just silencing his sobs would be enough to save his pale hide.

`Stop it Stiles or I will give you a reason to cry about, ´ Kate says before taking a sip from her beer, a bottle that goes flying in the direction of the small boy as he hiccups a bit too loudly, the small boy cries out in fright and Derek can smell the moment the kid loses control of his bladder and he can hear and smell how the small boy grew even more distressed over his accident.

`Stop it, right now Stiles, or I will let the monster get you again.´ Kate hisses at the child who wails miserably at that.

`No mama. No.´ the small boy manages to cry out, and it isn’t just the pure terror he sees in the small brown eyes that makes Derek’s stomach churn, just the idea that Kate had a child seemed so very wrong with him; there were just some people in the world that really shouldn’t have been allowed to have kids and Kate Argent was in Derek’s opinion one of those people, and by the look of things Derek was very right in his opinion on Kate’s suitability as a mother.

`Then stop your useless crying and do as you are told!´ Kate takes a step closer to the boy who cowers in the corner immediately hands raised to cover his head, but Kate pauses and Derek knows why by the sent that rose as she stepped in the small puddle of urine.

`Did – did you just piss yourself you filthy animal?!´ Kate screams at the boy before grabbing him by his messy hair and pulling him out from the corner, the child screams and cries his apologize and Derek has had enough of being quiet and just watching.   
  
`Leave him alone,´ Derek growls as loudly as he’s able, but it seems to be enough to pause Kate in whatever action she had been planning on, instead of manhandling the child further she turns her attention and gaze towards Derek.

`Why Derek how good of you to join us,´ Kate says wickedly, a cruel grin grows on her lips as she looks down at the crying boy at her feet.

`Come on Stiles, go and say hello to daddy, ´ Derek’s heart skips a beat as does the little heart inside the tiny trembling body on the floor, Derek wants to argue against the claim but there’s a gigantic lump in his throat as he recognizes those brown eyes as those of his father as well as the upturn of his nose, and now that Derek seeks it he can smell a combination of his and Kate’s smells entwined into this little confused boy.

`Oh yes Der-bear,´ Kate says as she picks-up the boy and brings him right up to Derek’s face, `You left me with this piece of shit, a useless little boy that just wouldn’t abort.´

Wide confused yet slightly hopeful eyes stare at him, there are old and fresh bruises on the small face and neck as well as the little arms that are reaching out to him hesitantly, and Derek can’t help but lean in towards the child but before he can feel those tiny hands on him all gentle and small Kate pulls back with the boy causing the wolf in Derek to whine miserably because they had been so close to comforting their small cub.

`No Stiles, don’t touch.´ Kate says sharply while moving further away from Derek, `Wouldn’t want him to bite your tiny fingers off, now would we?´ the little boy looks confused but then as Kate turns to voltage higher and Derek feels like he’s all the muscles contract and a flare of pain wash through his entire body the child cries out in horror, `Monstew.´ Derek tries to fight against the shift but he can’t and he knows Kate enjoys the fact that his son now sees him as the monster she believed him to be, as she turns down the voltage Derek can only watch as the little boy, his son, clings to the woman who had undoubtedly bruised his tiny body.

`Time for bed Stiles,´ Kate says as she starts to carry the boy towards the exit, the great heavy doors screeching as she forces it open, `No dinner for you because of how naughty you are,´ the small boy just hugs her tighter repeating the words monster over and over again, and before she closes the door behind her she locks her eyes with Derek and smirks in his direction as she says, `Yes, Stiles, daddy’s a monster and that’s why mama has to hurt you.´

Derek wants to call out to his son, to tell him he’s not a monster or at least that he would never hurt him, he wants to tell the small boy with such a strange name that there wasn’t a reason in hell or earth that could justify Katye’s treatment of him, but Derek can’t speak he can barely breathe and stay conscious enough to lift his gaze over to where Kate still stood grinning with a visibly terrified child in her arms. Derek wants to threaten Kate with something worse than death if she so much as harmed another hair on that little head of the child they had accidentally created, but he can’t catch his breath, he can’t even beg her to not hurt the already bruised and battered boy further, he can’t even whine or whimper as the heavy door closes leaving him alone and trapped.

He’s not sure for how long he’s alone but it seems like forever, and as he waits he does let his judgement get somewhat clouded by the fact that his son is somewhere alone with a woman who clearly doesn’t give a damn about his well-being and so he howls for Scott or even Peter, either one would do if it got him out of the shackles. The moment the door slides open he lifts his head his heart skipping a few beats before he sees that it’s only Kate and not someone he could expect to help him gain freedom, and yet he doesn’t let his disappointment show as he quickly demands to know where his son is.

`Doesn’t take much to get your lot attached to your cubs, does it? A little sniff and you get all protective of them.´ she hums with amusement, `that bond between makes you all very weak, did you know that? ´

`Where is he? What did you do to him? ´ Derek asks glaring daggers at her while she just laughs cruelly at him like the heartless bitch she was.

`Doesn’t it bother you at all that he’s the son of the woman who burned your family to the ground? ´ Kate asks with a sneer, `Don’t you find it disgusting knowing he’s my son – because I find it absolutely repulsive to know that he’s a Hale, a fucking half-breed.´ there’s no lie in her heart and Derek feels suddenly like someone had thrown a bucket of ice-water over him.

`Kate, what did you do?´ Derek asks heart racing painfully inside his chest, the beat isn’t as steady as it usually should be but then again he had been electrocuted. He can smell fresh blood that isn’t Kates or his own, and it has him pulling at his restrains which earns him another large dose of electricity that left him breathless and barely conscious.

`Nothing yet,´ She says hands tracing his body as if they were just too lover with a bondage kink, `But oh Derek, that might change if your aren’t going to play nice, I might just drag him back down here and cut his little throat wide-open.´

`Don’t. ´ Derek pleads because he can see it in her eyes, the madness and the want to hurt him, `He’s your son too.´

`Oh don’t remind me.´ Kate sighs resting her forehead against his chest while a heavy sigh leaves her, but then she stands up straight and just says, `If only he’d been a girl – then maybe I could care for that little half-breed, but no it had to be a stupid little boy that just cries and cries all the damn time. ´

`But no matter,´ Kate says suddenly her mood brighter as she pulls out her phone, `We’re going to have a guest over soon, I’ve got to go make sure that little half-breed stays nice and quiet, so be good Derek and hang around for a while longer.´ She almost at the door when she turns around to say, `Oh and Derek, don’t go spilling the beans on Stiles, wouldn’t want me to accidentally forget where I put him, now would we?´

~*~*~*~*~

Kate had taken great pleasure in tormenting him with past mistakes, she taunted him and touched him in ways Derek would’ve preferred her not too she’d even dragged her liars tongue up his torso at one point, and forced a kiss on his lips which had almost made him sick. Kate had used the small boy to torment him some more, whispering colorful threats in his ear one of which was to have him watch as his son was burned alive. She’d showed him of like some prized catch to her niece, he was treated like some grand kill, Kate showed off his fangs and telling filthy lies to get Scott McCall’s sweetheart to join the Argents family business. Derek could do nothing but hang on in there through it all in the hopes that Kate would allow him to see his son once more, alive instead of dead as she continued to suggest she might do.   
  
By the time Derek was finally released from his shackles by none other than Scott McCall, uncertain about how long Kate would be gone and with no time to waste Derek didn’t even bother to talk some sense into the young werewolf in regards to his childish crush on Kate’s niece, all Derek cared about was finding his son and making sure the child was safe and out of harm’s way.

Derek rushes upstairs legs still weak and heartbeat still a bit off, chest aching and the occasional muscle spasm, he stumbles up onto the first-floor of his childhood home that stood dark and silent like a perfect scene for more horrors to playout in. He’s calling out that odd name of his son, a name he might not have chosen for the boy but that feels oddly fitting to him, he calls out for his son with Kate’s haunting words still whispering in his ears.   
`He screams and cries so beautifully when I whip him, I’d bet he’d do it even more once he burns.´

`Better hope I’ve got an Alpha and a beta killed before dawn Der-bear, or you’ll have to watch me break every bone in that little boy before I make him into a human torch. ´

`Stiles!´ Derek yells out without even trying to hide how absolutely terrified he is of Kate coming back before he’s found his son, he struggles to find a small heartbeat to follow all he hears is his own and Scott’s beating hearts.

`What’s a Stiles?´ Scott asks voice low and nervous, somewhere in the distance they can hear the Alpha howl, toying with the hunters no doubt but Derek doesn’t care about Peter or Kate or anyone else outside the house, all he cares about is finding Stiles. He’s unable to use his sense of smell since Kate had spread her and Stiles scent all over the place, and perhaps if he wasn’t so close to having a panic attack then maybe he could’ve isolated a fresh scent trail from the older ones but he is close to panicking after all Kate had threatened to burn his son but not to death no that would’ve been merciful.

`Don’t worry Derek I’m not going to kill him, I’ll just burn him to a crisp, wouldn’t want you to miss out on seeing his last breath leave his body.´

`My son.´ Derek says quickly, as he starts to head upstairs, he needs to find his son and get the hell out of there. They needs to get as far from Kate as possible, he needs to make sure that sick and twisted woman doesn’t get another chance to hurt him or his son.

`Wait, you have a son? I didn’t know you had a son?´ Scott starts rather uselessly, he continues to follow Derek up the stairs which groan beneath them, the sound makes Derek feel uneasy this house was not a safe place for him or Scott and especially not for a little kid.

`Well I only found out about him a few hours ago,´ Derek responds trying not to snap at the beta Peter had created without giving it any damn thought, and then left the newly turned werewolf to survive on his own. Derek had to get his son not only as far from Kate as possible but Peter too, his uncle was no longer the man Derek had once known and trusted now he was something dark and twisted.

`What? ´ Scott squawks in shock and disbelief.

`I’ve only just found out that I have a son, alright. ´ Derek grits out, he’s not all that surprised by Scott continuing to ask unwanted questions.

`How do you even know if he is your son?´ the young werewolf ask just as Derek picks-up the small rapid heartbeat, the sound is coming from the bedroom that had once belonged to Derek’s parents, `Like what if he’s not your son? What if it’s just a trick.´?

`He is. He’s my son.´ Derek says simply walking a bit faster.

`But how do you know if you’ve just found out, like it could be a trick or a…´ Scott continues and it just rubs Derek and his wolf the wrong way, and that is why Derek snaps and shoves the stupid boy up against the nearest wall, plaster and dust raining down on them as Derek pins the kid against the wall that groans a little.

`He smells like mine, alright! ´ Derek barks at the younger male who is startled enough to just gawk at him with his mouth wide open, `My wolf recognized him, alright. But if it makes you happy I’ll have him tested, okay!´ Derek knows his anger isn’t warranted, none of this was Scott’s fault but all these questions just rub him the wrong way, he knows without a doubt that the small boy Kate had dragged around like some animal was his.

`He’s mine.´ Derek growls once more before letting the younger werewolf go, and with a sharp, `Just go,´ Derek heads with quick steps towards the bedroom where he’d sought shelter and comfort as a little boy when lightning and thunder or bad dreams made him feel unsafe; the room no longer looked the same as it had done the last time he’d been in there arguing with his mother, lying to her, everything was dark now everything stained and ruined by the fire and years of neglect.

A terrible lump settles in his throat, it’s hard to breathe suddenly and he feels like just turning back and running, but he can’t not without his son.

There’s a small trunk, unfamiliar, undamaged by years of facing the elements, placed neatly in a corner. The trunk isn’t all that big and it reeks at least to his sensitive nose of urine, blood, tears and sweat, even shit. The stench makes him feel sick and fearful of what he might find once he breaks the locks and opens the box of horrors.

`Is – is he in there? Why is he in there? ´ Scott asks from beside Derek who only now realizes he’s stopped moving, the questions snaps Derek into action and he crosses the floor quickly, dropping down to his knees hard before starting the frustrating battle to break the locks, Derek struggles to unlock the trunk as his hands are shaking something fierce and his fingers feel stiff and useless.

`This is so not right.´ Scott says from behind him, `Who the hell would lock a kid inside a box? ´

`His psycho bitch of a mother would.´ Derek spits out as he gets one of two locks broken, the broken pieces clinking and clanking against the floor just as the sound of gunshot are heard.

Derek breathes out slowly as the last lock gives allowing him to rip the lid right on off of the trunk, the hinges giving away and breaking just like the locks had.

`That’s not right – that’s so not right.´ Scott cries out as they peer into the trunk, there inside the trunk hogtied was the little boy and it was only now when the t-shirt was gone that Derek could truly see how truly starved the child was, the boy was nothing but bruised skin and bones.

Derek can’t even bring himself to speak as he stares down into the wide tearful eyes of his little boy, all he can do is reach down and cut the thick rough rope, once the ropes are finally cut he removes his jacket only to use it to cover the little boy who had immediately when released curled in on himself.

`It’s okay, ´ Derek speaks softly while reaching down and scooping the trembling boy up into his arms, `I’m not going to hurt you.´ and it’s a promise Derek will keep, `I swear I will never hurt you Stiles.´ His son is filthy and yet Derek kisses the top of that small head trying to put as much love and gentleness into that small act of affection.

Stiles reeks of fear, like he’s been bathed in it for decades. And yet even though his son was clearly fearful of him he still curled into Derek embrace.

`Let’s get out of here.´ Derek says softly while placing one hand behind the cold clammy neck of his son, he starts to take some of the pain that the small body holds, he nearly curses when he realizes how much aches and pains there truly is within the small body.

`Right. Yeah. Let’s go.´ Scott says voice low and uneasy, his brown eyes focused on the trunk and Derek imagines what Scott had seen wouldn’t leave his memory all that easily.

They move swiftly through the second-floor and down the stairs, by the time the reach the first floor the Stiles has almost dozed-off, body relaxed as Derek continues to take some of his discomfort away, but he startles away as the front-door as screams break through the night.

`Peter.´ Scott breathes as Derek growls out, `Kate.´

The front door flies open and in comes Peter dragging Kate with him, Peter doesn’t seem to notice them not until he’s got Kate up on her feet and Stiles calls out to her.

`Mama.´ Derek feels his heart stop beating in his chest as Peter’s glowing red eyes land on his son, he’s suddenly more terrified of Peter than Kate’s damn niece who comes storming into the house her crossbow raised and ready to fire.

`Mama , I sorry,´ and with that the little boy starts to try and escape Derek’s hold, `I go back – I go back in the box.´ Derek heart sinks at that, and he holds the child ever so slightly tighter shaking his head in a no, Stiles was not going back into that damn trunk.

`Mama?´ both Peter and Allison say, Peter’s grip around Kate’s throat tightens and Allison’s bow no longer points at Derek and his son.

`Maybe I should let you see him die first, watch the life drain out of his eyes, a little eye for an eye.´ Peter says voice low and dangerous, Peter’s features turning into something less human causing the little boy to cry out monster.

Stiles stops trying to get away from Derek. Tiny boney arms wrap themselves tightly around Derek’s neck, the little boy who already had reeked of fear and distress starts to beg him not to let the monster get him.

`Kate? ´ Allison says voice loud and uneasy, `Why – why did he call you mama? ´

`Because he’s my son, Ally, ´ Kate chocks out, her voice ripe with fear, `Please, Ally, help me. He – he needs his mother.´

`No! ´ Derek snaps holding his son closer, tighter, before spitting out, `The last thing he needs is you.´

`She’d locked and tied him up in a trunk upstairs.´ Scott says clearly without thinking, there’s a haunted look in his eyes, `He’s covered in bruises and cuts, and he’s all skin and bones.´

`That’s – that’s a lie.´ Kate counters, `I – I would never hurt my baby Allison, you know that right? ´

`You’re lying.´ Peter says, he seems shocked eyeing Kate like something shockingly disturbing you never could’ve imagined encountering in your life-time, `You’re lying.´

`I’m not Allison,´ Kate cries out to her niece, and although Derek doesn’t want to expose the pale bruised skin of his son to anyone, he still does it only a little just to show of the backside of the little boy who was crying against his neck, there’s a gasp and a growl.

`You truly are a heartless bitch, aren’t you Kate.´ Peter growls eyes on the little boy who’s spine ran like a disturbing string of pearls beneath a blanket of skin that was covered in fresh and old bruises and welts.

`Oh my God.´ Allison gasps, she doesn’t turn her gaze away from the shivering form that was going back and forth between begging Derek not to let the monster get him and apologizing to Kate for getting out of the box.

`Worthless bitch.´ Peter snarls before ripping Kates throat out, the last shocked gasp of Kate Argent draws Allison’s attention to her aunt who drops to the ground as soon as Peter releases his hold of her. 


	2. Questions, Questions, but no Answers

The sight of Kate’s throat opening up, her blood swiftly rising to the surface as if eager to escape her, seeing the gaping wound eased a tightness in his chest. The horrid sounds that left Kate as she began to bleed out eased some of the tension within Derek's body.

The sight of Kate’s none too gentle death, is to Derek rather distracting.

The sight of Kate’s cruel hands, the very hands that tortured him and which had with cruel intent bruised the pale skin of _their_ son, watching those hands reaching with an air of desperation and alarm up towards the bleeding wound was a strangely satisfying sight to behold. Witnessing the truly desperate attempts of Kate to halt the escape of her so-called pure-blood, was a sight Derek had only dreamt about seeing but never thought possible. There was a small tinge of regret there as well, a small flicker of unhappiness, not over Kate’s certain death but rather that it hadn’t been Derek’s own claws slicing through the pale flesh of her throat.

 However, what joy or pleasure Derek may have found in watching Kate’s death draw nearer, it was snuffed out as soon as he became aware of the disturbingly hostile gaze she directed at the child in his arms.

There was simply something about the look directed at his son that made him think Kate would never rest, that she’d never leave them be, not until she’d had her revenge on both him and his son. There was something in the huntress gaze that made him think Kate would crawl her way out of hell just so to hurt the little boy in his arms, after all what better way to cause Derek infinite sorrow and pain than simply killing something Derek instinctively loved?

 There was something truly wrong with Kate Argent for her to focus the last of her energy, her will, into a glare that was bone chilling. Even as Kate's body dropped to the ground, to the very last moment her heart stilled Kate's eyes were locked on their son, a murderous glare directed at a child who loved her even though she’d deserved no such thing; but what sickened Derek the most was knowing that even as Kate’s heart slowed to a stop, she most likely knew that small boy whom Derek had failed to shelter from the gruesome sight that played out before them, loved her the most and that had to make Kate feel some vicious delight.

 When Derek finally became aware of his failure to protect his son from the bloodied sight that was Kate’s end, it was far too late to, and the scream of great anguish that escaped the small child as the vicious spark of Kate’s life vanished from her eyes, it felt like a knife piercing through Derek’s own heart. The despair that the death of Kate caused his son, made Derek’s own heart ache, for he knew the sorrow and pain brought on by the death of a parent, and although Kate had been no real-mother his son loved her no doubt as much as Derek had loved his own.

Although Derek was glad to finally be rid of Kate, he wished it could’ve been done without causing his child such misery.

 Holding his wailing son tightly, attempting but struggling to comfort the bruised child, Derek could not and would not consider Kate as a mother, not when he’d witnessed the darkness of her heart, the cruelty of her nature. Kate was no mother. Kate had simply given birth to Stiles, and kept him alive perhaps only for her own sickening bemusement.

 A cold chill ran through his body as he wondered if his son had only ever experienced the demented nature of Kate Argent. Had his son, this crying boy of skin and bones, ever experienced a gentle touch? Had Kate ever been anything but cruel to their son? Was Stiles only familiar with brutality and pain?Could or would Stiles understand, accept, the love he deserved? Would Stiles embrace the tenderness he should’ve been privy too since birth? Would Stiles believe any kind words of affection or praise given to him? Or had Kate left a permanent and lasting mark on their son? Was Derek too late to undo the damage Kate had done? Would Kate’s influence forever leave Stiles believing that he deserved to be hurt, that anyone had a right to beat and torture him for their own delight?

The thought of his son spending the rest of his life believing he deserved to be hurt, that he deserved to be beaten and belittled, it makes Derek feel sick and afraid for Stiles’ future.

 Would Kate’s influence leave their son jaded, damaged in ways that made it impossible for him to have a normal and healthy view of life and above all love?

 Gazing down at the little boy, a little boy who seemed so torn between cling to Derek and trying to reach the lifeless body on the bloody floor, Derek could not help but wish that his own mother had still been  around to help him deal with the sudden responsibility how raising a child. Derek can't help but think his mom would've known what to do to help Stiles, that she would've been able to ensure that Derek didn't cause his child more harm. 

Derek had no desire to fail his son, he wanted to at least try and undo the damage Kate had undoubtedly done to Stiles, but in all honesty Derek had no clue how to go about helping his son.

Seeing the cold cruel eyes of Kate gaze up at their son even as the last of her strength bled out on the charred floorboards, Derek could swear she swore that she'd make sure their son would suffer her wrath to his dying day.

 `Mama No. Mama. ´Stiles cries so loudly, so desperately that there's no doubt this little boy loved Kate Argent, loved her even though she'd done nothing to deserve such love. 

 Hearing his son crying for Kate, much like Derek had done when he'd experienced the loss of his own mother, brings tears to Derek’s eyes for although he feels nothing but hatred towards Kate he does feel for his son. 

 He wants his son happy, safe and happy, and aware of how much Derek loves him already instead of Stiles feeling like the world has suddenly crashed around him.

 Derek does his best to speak softly, to keep his voice gentle as he does his best to try and comfort his son. He holds the trembling body close to his own, his hold firm but mindful of the injuries that Kate had caused Stiles, wishing that his son would find the same comfort in being held the way Derek had whenever his mother or father, uncle or aunt had held him close be it when he was upset or angry.  

 Derek speaks words that he knows deep down will ring hollow in the little ears of his son, but they are all Derek has to offer the small child in that moment.

`You’re going to be fine. ´ Derek promises his son, and hoping these words will be true, `I’ve got you. ´ But no matter the words he says, Stiles continues to cry for the dead woman before their feet, and there’s a special sort of hurt that pierces through Derek as Stiles continues to want Kate instead of him, for a moment Derek can’t help but hope he’d never made either one of his parents feel the ache that now blooms in his own chest.

 Feeling rejected, unwanted and above all else incompetent, Derek comes dangerously close to slipping into the dark and full of self-loathing territories, areas where he would question his abilities to be everything his son would need. There's  no questions, none, that Derek wants to give his son everything he needs, but was he capable of giving Stiles the love and care he needed?

Derek couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever be enough of a parent to Stiles? Derek couldn't help but question whether or not he was good enough to raise a child, did he even deserve to keep Stiles? Would keeping his son do more harm than good?

Ignoring the hurt he feels, Derek continues almost stubbornly to try and comfort his son, the rest of the world suddenly of no importance to him.

Stiles stills in his arms suddenly, but it isn’t the words that quiets the child down, nor is it the gentle touches, it's the soft kiss Derek places on the clammy forehead.

There's this sort of startled and stunned look that is plastered on the tearstained face, red-rimmed eyes widening while a little hand moves up to touch the spot where Derek’s lips had planted a small sign of affection.

However, before Stiles sort out his own thoughts or emotions about the kiss planted upon his forehead, and before Derek could figure out what was going on inside the head of his son, Kate’s brother and unfortunately Stiles’ uncle came rushing in with his gun raised and ready to kill.

 Every instinct Derek has, every bone in his body, wants him to take off running, more so as the hunter aims his gun at Derek or more precisely at his son, but the chance that any movement made would result in the gun going off roots Derek to the spot. The genuine, and in Derek’s mind perfectly reasonable fear of the living Argent pulling the trigger and killing his son if Derek so much as moved a toe, that fear held him in place far better than a set of chains ever could.

The arrival of Chris Argent does nothing but startle Stiles, the sight of the gun has his son clinging to him.  

 Derek thinks that it would be the cruel twist of fate for him to lose his son now. If he lost his son so soon after finding him it would be the worst sort of a twist in Derek’s already miserable life. How cruel did the Gods have to be for yet another Argent to take someone Derek loved from him?  Were the Argent’s truly designed to leave Derek alone and heartbroken in the world?

 Losing Stiles, it would destroy Derek and he knows it, he feels it in his bones.

Derek had loved many in his life, he’d lost every one he’d ever loved, minus Kate whom he’d gone from loving to hating. He’d lost Laura only recently and he could not claim he hadn’t lost Peter too even if his uncle stood there before him, and Derek had survived each loss but something in him warns him losing this child would break him, it would truly break him.

The loss of his son would drive Derek and his wolf to become as unhinged as their uncle.

 Wouldn't it just be a cruel twist of fate for Stiles to be finally rescued from Kate's twisted grip only to be killed by her brother.

`Dad. No. ´ Derek is surprised to hear the young Argent, no doubt the future head of the hunter-family. Derek is even more surprised to find the young girl move to stand between him and her father, it of course isn’t Derek she’s desperate to protect, that much Derek realizes soon enough, it’s the child in his arms Allison is trying to keep from getting killed that night. 

Allison Argent didn't care a damn about Derek's life, but she clearly gave a damn about the terrified child in Derek's arms.

 `Dad, listen. ´ she continues but that’s as far as she gets before Peter decides to make his presence known in the most unfortunate of ways.

 `Your bitch of a sister deserved to die, Christopher. ´ Derek hears his uncle say without a care in the world for what those words might bring, Derek is almost tempted to hiss at Peter to shut the hell up, but Derek doesn’t dare to draw any more attention towards him or his son.

 Peter’s words seem to help flare the already there sense of solid anger that sat within Chris Argent, and Derek thinks for a moment Kate’s brother will just pull the trigger in the name of revenge, no matter if the child that died was innocent to the whole disaster that had come to play out between their families.

 Peter who clearly wasn’t all there, doesn’t appear the slightest bit concerned about Derek’s or Stiles’ safety as he continues to say, `she _burned_ my family _alive,_ Christopher _._ She trapped us inside this very house and proceeded to burn it down around us. Honestly, if she hadn’t pushed me, I would’ve made her death much slower. I would’ve made her suffer for what she did. ´ There’s no skip of a heartbeat there, no wavering in Peter’s voice, he’s telling the truth and Derek isn’t surprised by it.

 There’s no doubt that out of Derek and Laura, Peter had suffered the most.

 `And I wish I had made her suffer, made her suffer at least a fraction of what I’ve had. I wish I’d made her feel as trampled down, as hurt and small as she’s made _my_ grandnephew. ´ Peter’s heartbeat remains steady, and it reveals to Derek that although Stiles was half-an-Argent Peter viewed the child as one of them, and being free from having to worry about Peter going after his son made it just a little bit easier for Derek to breathe.

 `Kate didn’t – she wouldn’t, ´ Chris starts, but he doesn’t get all that far as Peter roars with unbridled anger, a roar that startles Stiles into whimpering once more the word monster; Derek feared and wondered what sort of experience or past his son had with werewolves, and how much that past and experience would hinder a proper relationship from forming between him and Stiles.

 Derek does his best to comfort his son, promising the child he would keep him safe, that no one would be allowed to hurt him as long as Derek was around.

 `Her wickedly grinning face was the last thing we saw before she locked us in! Before she trapped us, and gave us a slow and most painful death. It was her face we could see from behind the bars as we burned! It was her laughter I heard as the rest of us screamed in desperation and pain! ´ Breathing in a shaky breath, the inhale rather aggressive in nature and the exhale was equally as wrathful, Peter goes on to speak with a voice still laced with unbridled anger.

`Don’t you dare tell me Argent, that _your_ demented sister wouldn’t have burned a bunch of innocent people alive, not when I bloody well experienced it. Not when I WAS THERE! ´ and again the rising roar startles Stiles, who goes on to beg Derek not to let the monster get him which of course Derek would never allow to happen, at least not as long as he had a hint of life left in him.

 `Don’t you _dare_ tell me, that she wasn’t part of what happened, ´ Peter continued, unaware of the distress he caused with allowing the wolf in him to rise just a little bit more to the surface, `Don’t you dare tell _me_ that she wasn’t there. I could hear her laughing outside as we burned! ´

 An uneasiness washes over Derek as he listens to what his uncle is saying. A form of nausea claws at his insides as Peter’s words drag Derek back to that dreadful night when both of their lives changed forever, although Derek hadn’t been there when the fire had been lit he’d still witness the destruction of it, but then as Derek breathes in the scent of his son the ache inside his chest eases somewhat.

 `Don’t you bloody well dare claim, ´ Peter goes on, voice now much less human and more like the raging beast he had been while forcing the bite on Scott, ` that your dear sister wouldn’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it, because you should really take a good look at Derek’s little boy, ´ and here his uncle turns his attention gingerly away from the hunter and focuses on the distressed child in Derek’s arms, and there’s something almost human in Peter’s gaze then, something sorrowful and tender, but as soon as Peter turns his gaze back to the hunter there’s once more anger to be found in his eyes.

 ` Because what you’ll see on his small body, _Christopher,_ ´ Peter positively snarls the name of Kate’s brother, there’s almost as much repulsion there as there has been when Peter had to speak of Kate or her name, ` is the undeniable evidence of the disgusting nature of your dear-dear-Kate. ´

 Derek instinctively moves to hide as much as possible of his son when the male Argent turned his pale eyes towards him and his son, it doesn’t matter to Derek that Chris Argent is by blood Stiles’ uncle, Derek still doesn’t trust him. Derek wants, no, he _needs_ to keep his son safe, Derek wasn’t able to protect his from Kate for the first few years of Stiles’ life, but Derek would be damned if he didn’t keep Stiles safe from here on out.

 `Kate wouldn’t…´

 `She’d locked him in a box. Upstairs. ´ Scott says, voice small, haunted, `Who does that? Who does that to a little kid? ´ the question comes out desperate, as if this was the most important question of all and the lack of an answer simply doomed the world.

 `Dad. ´ young Argent says, her voice wavering slightly as if she struggled to believe her own words as she continued, ` I – I saw the bruises, the welts – oh, my god, dad he’s so thin. There’s just skin, and bones, dad, skin and bones. ´

 `You and your ilk call us monsters, but we would never stoop so low as to abuse a child. ´ Peter goes on to say, and air of superiority once more gracing his voice, but the anger remained still just beneath the surface like a shark waiting to strike, `We’d never starve and beat a child. That’s not what we do, that’s against our instincts, and yet you call us monsters?!´ the bitter laughter that escapes Peter speaks volumes of his mental stability.

 `How could she do that, ´ the young huntress asks her father, and Derek can hear the genuine confusion and uneasiness in her voice, `to her own son? ´

 The hunter appeared genuinely surprised to the news that the distressed child in Derek’s arms wasn’t just Derek’s son, but that he had been Kate’s son too, and this little tidbit of information seemed distressing enough for Argent to struggle with believe that the crying child was Kate’s son, even when such a thing was told to him by his own daughter.

 `What? What did you say? ´ Chris goes on to ask his daughter, voice low and uneasy.

 `Oh, didn’t you know? How funny, it seems Katie here, ´ and here Peter clearly saw it fit to kick the lifeless form on the floor, it brings the loaded gun back up and the hunter aims for Peter’s heart without pulling the trigger, `was big on keeping _all_ sorts of secrets. ´

 `No. Kate – Kate would’ve – she wouldn’t have…´ Chris starts but his own daughter breaks his stumbling words of nonsense by confirming at least one part of the tale to be true.

 `She said – she said that he was her son – when I asked her why the little boy called her mama, she said it was because he was her son. ´ the girl Derek knows Scott McCall beyond infatuated with says, her voice shaky perhaps not so much by the thought that Kate had a child that she hadn’t known about, but rather that said child had been so visibly neglected and abused, ` but if that’s true, then why would she hurt him? Why is he so thin then? Why is he… ´

 `She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. ´ Chris says sharply, desperately even, desperate no doubt to convince not only himself but everyone else that his sister wasn’t a monster.

 `She called him a piece of shit, repulsive, ´ Derek counters the weak argument made by Kate’s brother, it pains him to repeat those dreadful words but it that was what it would take to ensure Stiles didn’t end-up with a bullet in his head then so be it. Derek would, if they both survived the night, try his best to battle the unkind words drilled into Stiles’ head.

 ` Just because he’s my son. Because he’s a half-breed, ´ Derek all but whispers from where he is standing, holding his son just a little bit tighter, there's a low growl leaving Peter as Derek speaks, `She told him that the reason she had to hurt him, was because of what I am. ´

 `If only I could rip her throat out again. ´ Peter snarls before spitting at the corpse at his feet.

 `But, ´ the hunter starts, turning a rather desperate gaze towards Derek, `How? How old are you? ´

 `Does it matter? ´ Derek asks, not too eager for everyone to realize that he’d been one of the dumbest teenagers ever.

 `Oh, I think it does. ´ Derek hears his uncle say from where he’s still towering over the remains of Kate, `You see, dear nephew, according to my mathematical skills I would say with great certainty that you were very much underaged when the fire happened. ´ Hearing the truth stated with an air of hostility, be the hostility not directed at Derek, made bow his head in shame.

 Although he could not, and would not declare Stiles something disgusting, unfortunate, unwanted, undesirable, Derek still felt a great deal of shame for the mistakes made by his younger-self. Derek would always regret believing in Kate, trusting her the way he had, but he did not feel like his son was regrettable, he would of course wish he’d known about Kate being pregnant and somehow stolen their son from her before she had a chance to turn on Stiles.

 Derek regretted a great many things, he regretted Kate and his naivety, but he would never hurt his son by declaring him a mistake wished away.

 `So, ´ Peter drawls out, a glint of cruelty and viciousness in his now crimson eyes, `isn’t it simply marvelous to learn that you dear sister was not only a homicidal bitch who happily abused her own son, your nephew if I might add, ´ Derek held Stiles just a little bit tighter, the aspect of Chris Argent being Stiles’ uncle not sitting well with either him or the wolf beneath his skin, and the look in the pale eyes of the hunter only fuels the uneasiness within Derek.

 `Fun isn’t it Christopher, how your dear-Kate here, ´ again Peter kicks the lifeless body of Kate Argent, `not only abused my nephew, but yours too? Granted, the way our nephews were abused were different, your sister simply beat yours as well as starved him of food and affection, why simply molesting mine. ´

 The somewhat startled look that flickers upon the face of the hunter who has turned a bit green around the gills as Derek’s grandmother would’ve said, and Derek isn’t entirely sure if it’s the idea of Kate hurting one of their own that is the cause of it or the implication that Kate had sexual relations with a minor that turned Chris’ stomach.

 `Isn’t it just wonderful to learn in one night that your homicidal, psychotic, child abusing sister was also a child-molester. Shall we have it engraved on Kate’s headstone, ´ Peter goes on to say, a cruel gleam in his alpha-red eyes, while his voice carries an air of pure venom, the following statement spoken within the burned husk of the Hale House are intended to cut deep, ` `What about this, “Here lies Kate Argent a child molesting, homicidal, child abusing psychopath and beloved daughter, sister, and aunt.” -  I’d be glad to pay for it, if you aren’t. ´

 The taunting words, spoken unkindly by Derek’s uncle, were only effective in chasing away any visible signs of uneasiness that had been sparked within Kate’s brother, the hunter becoming more hardened around the edges and the walls of defense were back-up.

 `I appreciate your input, but I think my family and I will see to Kate’s funeral arrangements and her headstone. And I’d advices you against making accusations that aren’t proven to be true. ´

 Peter’s eyes flash dangerously then, and Derek thinks his own may do the same as he snaps his attention away from his son who was slowly growing quiet, exhaustion finally taking hold of the little boy in his arms. The words used by the are the sorts accusations are made of, they are a declaration that would have you believe that there was need for doubt where it came to believing the word of either Hale. Derek feels a spark of anger flare within his chest at the notion that he is being declared a liar, a liar simply trying with the help of his uncle to besmirch the good Argent name.

 `Proof?! ´ Peter snaps furiously, startling the small child in Derek’s arms, causing the boy to whimper in distress, `That child, ´ and here Peter pointed a finger sporting a bloodied claw at Stiles, `is all the proof needed! ´

 `Dad, she – she did say…´ the young girl who’d stolen Scott’s heart starts, but her father who squared his shoulders cuts her off, almost dismissingly in Derek’s opinion.

 `Kate may – might have been the mother of that child. ´ and although Chris voice is to some degree unkind, there’s a pitying look in the eyes of the hunter as he looks over at the once more distressed child, a child who was by now too worn down and weak to make much noise, `But there’s no evidence that Hale is his father. ´

 `She said, Kaye said… ´ Derek starts rather defensively, moving to create distance between his son and the hunter, after all Argent wasn’t claiming Stiles’ wasn’t Kate’s son, no the man was simply trying to refute Derek’s paternity and that made him incredibly uneasy.

 `You might just be saying that. ´ Chris snaps, and for a moment all Derek sees is a man desperate to prove that his sister wasn’t the monster she was claimed to have been.

 `And why would we do such a thing? ´ Peter asks, voice low and angry, the accusation of playing games for once rubbing Derek’s uncle the wrong way.

 `Revenge. ´ the hunter suggests swiftly, ` Killing Kate isn’t enough, so you two are taking her son to do only God knows what. ´

 Both Peter and Derek immediately voice their outrage over such a claim, and Derek goes as far as to snarl out a very angry, `He’s mine. I know it. ´ which earns him a simple raised eyebrow from the hunter who clearly isn’t willing to take his word for it.

 `He smells a bit like Derek. ´ Scott whispers from where he is standing.

 `That he does. ´ Peter agrees after taking a small sniff, his eyes growing brighter but for once there’s no hostility or cruelty in his gaze as he looks over at the small boy, a faint but genuine smile tugging at Peter’s lips.

 `That’s probably because he is holding the boy. ´ Chris immediately responds, desperate to explain away any claims Derek had on the small child that had been declared as Kate’s.

 `Allison, ´ the hunter turns towards his daughter, his voice a little bit less hostile, `did she say anything about him, ´ and here Kate’s brother shoots a glare full of distrust at Derek, ` being the father? ´

 There’s no stopping the angry growl that escapes Derek then, he feels not only insulted but suddenly increasingly protective of his son as he began to fear that the Argents would try and take the child from him, to keep his son whom he’d only just learned existed from him; there was no end to the cruelty of the Argents, at least not in Derek’s opinion.

 `Well, did Kate say anything to suggest Hale is the father? ´ Chris enquires, ignoring completely both Peter and Derek.

 `No. ´ Allison answers honestly, `Not to me. All she said was, that she’s the mother – she didn’t even mention a father. ´

 `Then it could be someone else, another hunter. ´

 `Oh wouldn’t you and your father just love that. ´ Peter snarls while moving towards Derek and his son, placing himself directed between his nephew and grandnephew, `That would make the boy all pure-blooded, wouldn’t it? And you could just hand him off to your father to train him into becoming another Kate, yes? ´

 `He is my son, and he’s not going anywhere. ´ Derek grits out from where he is standing, `You’re not taking him. ´

 `You said it yourself, he is Kate’s son. ´ Chris counters, `And considering there’s a bit of a question when it comes to the paternity of his father, I think it would be best if my nephew comes home with me… ´

 `NO! ´ Derek roars, regretting it immediately as the loud noise startles his son who begins to wail once more.

 `I couldn’t agree more, nephew, ´ Peter growls, his stance changing, his entire body readying itself for a fight.

 `The child stays with its father. ´ Peter states, cracking his neck as the wolf threatens to rise, `We’re not going to just hand one of our own to your lot, Christopher, not after everything. ´

 

**Author's Note:**

> Oh so I was also trying to figure out what to do about Chris, should he be there to support Derek or would he think Stiles would be better off with him and Victoria? But I’d still like to think that Allison would be eager to get to know her cousin which however I’m not sure Derek is comfortable with, and I then we have Gerard… would he be disgusted by the fact that his grandson is a half-breed or would he see him as an Argent? Like these are the questions that started running inside my head and I got stuck. 
> 
> And I have so many other things to figure out but I just don't have the time, damn these bitches and their demanding souls.


End file.
